Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland, Again
by Nikooru-chan
Summary: The Goddess has gone completely insane! She's killing anyone who dares venture into her sacred grounds. Now it's up to Jack and Gwen to Save the Homeland, Again! Rated M for gore and potty mouths.
1. Pick my Flowers Will You?

_**Disclaimer:** Sup yo, I don't own any of the characters andthis is my first Harvest moon fic, ya dig? Yeah, I'm totally retarded, I'm well aware. _

_Well anyway, as I said, this is my first harvest moon fic, so be kind. So anyway, this takes place after **HarvestMoon: Save the Homeland**. So R&R, enjoy the story, and later in the story, you will find that I have this little obsession with blood. Yes, I know._

**Harvest Moon: Saving the Homeland, Again**

_Prologue: Pick me flowers, will you?_

She never got more then a few guests. And she never got more then a few offerings. Sure, they named things after her, and she was well known, but that didn't matter to them. And it made her sick.

The harvest sprites didn't help much either. She could hear them whispering things behind her back, and that only angered her more. And what had she ever done to anyone anyway? Besides spread her kindness to the villagers in the form of wishes. And to make matters worse, people would pick the flowers and fruits from her sacred grounds near her pond. She wasn't going to take it anymore.

----------

Katie waved good bye to her grandfather and closed the huge doors of the bar/cafe. The warm summer air washed through her pink dress and made her shiver in pleasure. She loved Summer, almost as much as she loved Fall, and Spring, and Winter. Hell, She loved all the seasons.

She began to walk past Maple Lake, smiling and waving at Joe, who was fishing, like always. He happily waved back, but was interrupted by a fish tugging on his line. Katie giggled to herself as she continued on her way.

She soon found herself at the Harvest Goddess lake, where she went everyday to pick fruits and flowers for the ever cute Jack. And then she saw it. It wasthemost beautiful flower she had ever seen. It resided near the edge of the water that was the pond where the Goddess herself was said to live. The flower was the colour of freshly spilt blood, and the petals looked as though they were made of the liquid. It had slender dark leaves that cupped the bottom of the plant.

She happily skipped over to it and kneeled next to it, her beaming smile reflecting the beauty of the flower itself. She lowered one of her slender hands to pick up the plant, only for it to spring to life and bite her. She yelped and leaped up, surprised when the plant would not let go of her finger, and was pulled from the ground.

Katie watched in horror as the plant suddenly began to rot, turning black as the midnight sky. She watched as blood escaped from the puncture wound on her finger, reflecting the colour that the flower had once been. And soon the flower whithered, and slowly released its jaws from the tip of the sixteen year old finger. Katie sighed in relief, feeling as though her heart would burst through her rips at any moment. Little did she know, but her relief was long lived.

A hand slowly rose from the water the stood behind her. It crawled on land and took hold of Katie's heal. Katie gasped as the hand, and whatever was attracted to it, pulled her into the lake. She screamed as it pulled her below the waters surface. She saw the light from the sun blur from the thick liquid that surrounded her, slipping into her nose, ears, eyes and mouth. And then what pulled her down showed itself.

The Goddess flipped up and floated in front of Katie. Her violet hair and luminescent dress were unaffected by the water, unlike Katie, who looked surprisingly like a drowning rat. While The goddess didn't open her mouth, Katie heard her words as clear as day.

" Pick my flowers, will you?"

Katie screamed, the sound muffled from the water that began to spill into her throat and tried to kick to goddess away. She managed to kick the Goddess back towards the bottom of the lake and began to swim with all her might towards the surface. The Goddess watched with anger as this vile mortal was disobeying her. Her once purple eyes turned the deep colour that the flower had been before it had rotted. Her fingernails grew into claws and her teeth became sharp fangs. The power that the goddess had never before used was spilling out of her like blood from a freshly cut wound. Katie was not getting away.

Katie reached the surface with and took a great gasp of air. Never before had she treasured air like this before. Then she realized that the Goddess was still after her, and that she should get out of the water. She started to swim as fast as she could towards the the shore, but the Goddess grabbed her ankle again. Katie screamed at the top of her lungs as she felt herself go under again. She kicked again, and hit something. Hard.

When she reached the surface, she saw blood pooling in the water around her, but it wasn't normal blood. This blood was black. Black as the withered flower that lay motionless on the ground that Katie so desperately wanted to be on. She continued to swim frantically towards the shore, but the Goddess beat her there.

She leaped out of the water and grabbed Katie's neck and arm. She quickly brought her face to her shoulder and bit down, her newly formed fangs sharp as knives. Katie let out another high pitched scream. Then the Goddess pulled her under, for the last time.

----------

Joe looked away from his fishing line, accidentally letting the fish he was struggling to reel into shore let go of the fishing line and have another chance at life. He had sworn he had heard someone scream from up at the Harvest Goddess Lake, and the only one he had seen go up there all day was Katie. But of course that was ridiculous. There was nothing up there other then Gwen's harmless weasel snowball, and even if that rodent were to go insane and try to attack her, the goddess and her sprites would protect her, so he focused at the now slack line.

" Shit..." he cursed under his breath. That fish, was hard to reel in, and might have been the legendary fish that he had been hunting for. He quickly reeled the line in and casted again, mentally pounding himself for letting such a grand opportunity to catch the grand-pappy of all fish. And then he heard it again.

Something screamed again, and he was sure that something was wrong this time, because he recognized the voice. It was Katie. No doubt about it.

He quickly dropped the line, rod, and all and raced up the path towards the the Harvest Goddess Lake, and he let out a terrified yelp when he saw her. Katie's motionless body floated face down on the water, blood ran from her a bite mark on her shoulder and mixed with the now tainted water. Joe rushed over to the shore and stared in horror. He didn't know what to do. Then he noticed that rotted flower that lay next to him. He cautiously picked it up and carefully put it in his pocket. He would show it to Parsley later, but that was the least of his worries.

With a long, strong arm, he grabbed the end of Katie's dress, pulling her to the ground. He slowly turned her and gagged. Her face was completely torn up with immeasurable rage, bruised and cut, blood stained the front of her dress. Joe leaned over and heaved, forcing all of his stomach content onto the ground in front of him. Her face was so gruesome.

He slowly wiped the sticky vomit from his lips and covered her face with the front of her dress. Then he carried her off back towards the bar. He was unaware of the harvest sprites watching his every move.

" This isn't good." Flak said in his deep, dumb sounding voice.

" No duh, you idiot!" Nik hissed at him.

" The Goddess has completely snapped!" Nak cried, only to have Nik slap his hand over his mouth.

" Shut up! We should go and tell Jack about this."

_A/N: So, what did ya think? Love it? Hate it? Noticed how much I mentioned blood and wounds and stuff? Let me know what you think! R&R!I don't really like Katie, as you can see. Next chapter coming soon!_


	2. Don't Pity Me

_Disclaimer: Bloody hell, it's been over a year since I updated. I know that this lack of updates is waayy beyond appoligy, but I'm gonna say sorry anyway. I'll try to get the next one out fast but there will be no gaarentees. I've got unfinished stories up to my ears, and most of them are ones I haven't posted. But anyway, I hope you enjoy this LONG overdue chapter, and I hope you don't hate me too much._

_Ps: I know alot of words a spelt wrong, but I don't have a spellcheck option, so please don't review on my shitty ability to spell._

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**Chapter 1:**

_Don't Pity Me_

"Jack!"

_**Thump!**_

" JACK!"

_**Thump!**_

" JACK!!!"

_**Thump!**_

_**Tip...**_

" AHHHH THE TABLES FALLING OVER!!"

_**BANG!!**_

" Owwww..."

Jack slowly opened his brown eyes to slits as he sat up in his bed. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stared blankly towards whatever had just woken him. His vision was blurry with sleep, but soon cleared and saw Nik, Nak and Flak, all lying on the ground, and his obviously broken table beside them. He just shot the hurting Harvest Sprites an annoyed look as he swong his legs over the side of his bed and shot one of his hands in the air as he yawned.

" What do you three want?" He asked groogily. At the sound of his voice, the three Sprites, who were still lying on the ground, leaped up and started jumping around wildly, all yelling at the same time. Jack felt a veinpop on his forhead with annoyence as he put both his hands out and shut his fingers together like they were mouths.

" SHUT UP!" He demanded loudly. All three Sprites stopped immeaditly and just stared up at him with fearful eyes. Jack just sighed, content with the quite and looked down at the sprites. " Now, one at a time, tell me what the hell is going on here?"

Nak and Flak both pushed Nik in front of them as a form of volenteering. Nik just shot them both dirty looks as he made his way over towards Jacks feet. He looked up at the humen for a moment, before clearing his throat. He then leaped onto Jacks leg and began to sob.

" The Harvest Goddess has gone insane!" he wailed. From beind him, Nak and Flak both rolled their eyes, but Nik didn't notice them. " You've gotta help us! She'll kill everyone!"

Jack suddenly tenced up as he picked the Harvest Sprite by the back collar of his red coat and looked him in the eye. " Are you serious?" Jack asked him. " Or is this some kind of sick joke."

Before Nik could answer, there was a knock at his door. Jack got up and walked over to the door. He looked back at the Harvest Sprites as he thought about telling them to hide. But then he remembered that he was the only one who could see them, sighed and opened the door.

Jack caught Joe as he fell through the door frame. He was covered with blood, and had a thick smell of death and vomit wafting off him. Jack just dragged him over and sat him on his bed.

" Joe?" Jack asked causiously, sitting down beside him. " What happened?"

Joe just looked up at him. His face seemed to be devoid of any emotion. In fact, he didnt even look alive. His face was so pale it seemed as though all the blood in his body had dried up. He had black circles under his eyes, and they were red, from crying? He just stared at him, his eyes looking lifeless. What had happened?

" Jack..." Joe finally spoke, after staring at him for several very akward moments. He then just stared laughing. But it was an unatural, pained laugh that made the hair on the back of Jacks neck stand on end. " She's dead."

Jacks mind was working overtime by now. _Dead? Who?_

" Can you believe it?"

_What? No...please. Her? Please not her._

" OH KATIE!!"

_Please not Qw-_

Jack stopped. He just stared at Joe, pity and pain constricting his chest as he did so. Joe had crashed. His head in his hands as he sobbed. His wails were loud, and could most likely be heard from the Village Square. Jack just put an unsure hand on Joes shoulder. He could always tell he had a soft spot for Katie. He was just glad it wasn't who he had had in mind.

" What happened?" He asked him gently.

At those words, Joes crying stopped abruptly. He just stared at his tear stained lap.

" I dont know." Joe explained, his voice still shakey. " She screamed, and I ran up. And she was just there, floating face down in Harvest Goddess Pond..."

Joe continued, but Jacks heart had stopped at the words 'Harvest Goddess Pond'. The Harvest sprites were right. The goddess really was insane. But what had happened to her?

" Joe?" Jack asked. " Can you take me to Katie?"

That was the wrong thing to say.

" Sure." Joe said, his voice filled with jeleousy. " She always liked you better. It's what she'd want."

" Its not like that Joe-"

" Save it." Joe spat as he stood. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a rotton black flower. He threw it on Jacks lap and stormed over to the door. " You should give her that too. It was probably for you. It was by her fucking body! She always picked flowers for you!" And with that he shoved open the door, burst out and slammed it with a loud BANG!

Jack griminced. He hadn't meant it like that. He had no interest in Katie for anything other then a friend. An attractive friend, but a friend just the same. Didn't Joe know who his heart really belonged to?

Jack sighed. He stood and with one last look at the harvest sprites he left the shack he called a home. So many questions were swimming through his head. Just what had happened to drive the Harvest Goddess over the edge?

----------

Qwen looked up from the blade of grass she was twirling in her slender fingers to see Jack making his way up the path. She had expected him to be running to the side of his love, but he seemed to have no emotion of the death. He just seemed confused as fuck.

" Jack!" Qwen called out. " Hey, over here!"

" Qwen!" Jack yelled as he rushed over to her. She had never seen him look so glad to see her. His brown eyes shone so brightly, but then again that happens when people are about to cry.

" I take it ya heard." She said, glancing over her shoulder at the bar/cafe, which was currently surrounded by mourning people. All Qwen got was a nod. She looked back at him, and they shared an akward silence for several moments. Jack was the one to break it.

" How ya taking it?" He asked, his gaze directing from the ground to Qwens maroon eyes. The blond shrugged.

" I dunno, I was never really friends with her. Sure, we knew each other, and we would say hi to each other on the streets, but we never really kicked it off, you know?"

" Yeah..." Jack said, looking to the cafe again. Qwen shot him a symphetic look.

" How are you taking it?" She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. She was surprised to see him blush a little at her touch. Jack just scuffed his booted foot on the ground.

" She was a good person." Jack said, glancing over at the Bar again. " And she was a good friend. I'll miss her..." he trailed pff, suddenly noticing Qwens eyes filling with tears.

" Oh Jack." She sobbed as she pulled him into a hug. " I'm so sorry for you! I know how much you loved her. Everyone knows. We're all greiving for you." She cried into his shoulder. Jack suddenly broke the hug and grabbed Qwen by the shoulders roughly.

" What is it with people in this town that think I love Katie?" He barked at her, his chestnut eyes glowing dangeriously. Qwen just stared at him, her mouth open in a small 'o' shape. " First Joe hates me, and now you pity me? She was a friend. Nothing more. Nothing less. Got it?" Qwen nodded.

" I'm sorry Jack, it's just that I thought you two were always a good match for each other." She said, whipping the tears from her cheeks and smiling weakly. Jack sighed sadly, and let his arms flop down to his sides.

_' She thinks me and Katie were an ideal couple. What about me and her?' _He thought sadly as he turned to leave.

" I have to go see Wallace." He said, giving Qwen one last miserable look. " I'll see you around." And with that, he made his way slowly to the bar/cafe, his shoulders sagging. Qwen just stared at the Farmer until he reached the crowd, before sighing and walking back towards her Grandfathers carpenders hut.

----------

Jack glanced back over his shoulder, watching his crush make her way towards her Grandfathers lodge. He hated to be so cruel to Qwen, but how else was he supossed to react. His serect love imagining him with another women? If she loved him, and he did that, how would she react? Oh, if only that was the case.

The farmer gazed at his love for another moment before turning frontwards and making his way through the crowd of mourning people. They all quietted as Jack walked by, and whisperes erupted from their lips. He saw Joe out of the corner of his eye, hovering just outside of the crowd. He also caught the death glare that was sent in his direction, and winced. He hated to see Joe hate him so, but finding out why and how Katie died was more important. If only Joe knew Jack did it mostly to put the fishermens mind to ease.

Jack made it to the front of the crowd, which was just in front of the huge wooden dorrs of the bar/cafe. Wallace stood beside a table, with a bloodsoaked white sheet over a obviously humen figure. Jack gulped at the scene, and made his way over to the crying Wallace. He looked down to the old man, and smiled half heartedly at him.

" Just the boy I wanted to see." Wallace said, but something about his voice scared Jack. It had both a sence of excitememt and anger in it, so it was hard to tell if he was being sarcastic or not. His face was also completely emotionless, and he looked much like Joe.

" I wanted to give my last goodbyes." He said, looking to his feet. " And to give my sincerest apologies to you. She meant so much to all of us, but to none more then you." Jack immeaditly regetted his choice of words when Wallace was suddenly racked by sobs.

" You seem to be sincere." He said between sobs. " But I don't know what to make of you. I know Katie would not want me to blame anyone but her culperate for her death, but at the same time, if it wasn't for her continious habits of going up there to pick flowers for you, then it wouldn't have made it so easy for the murderer. You are as much at fault in my eyes as the culperate."

Jack was aware of the silence as the villagers stopped all other conversation to listen. " With all due respect, Katie was not a hard person to find. If anyone would want to kill Katie, then they could and would have done it sooner."

" Then who do you suppose did it, Jack?" A voice said, and Jack gasped. Jow had somehow made it to the other side of the table without him knowing, and had his hand on the white sheet over Katies supposidly mangled body. " Are you saying that none of us are guilty? Because this was no accident." And before anyone could stop him, Joe ripped the sheet from atop Katie, and the crowd of people froze.

Jack had imagined a discusting sight when Jow had first told him of Katies demise, but nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. From just above the breasts down, there was no damage, besides for the colouration from being in water for too long, but above that was beyond recognition. How Joe had known it was Katie was a mystery to Jack. For one, there was no nose, only a bloody gash where it should have been, and both eyes were missing. Her lips hung to her face by a thread of flesh, and the bite wound in her shoulder was oozing an unusual black puss.

Jacks stomach couldn't take that. He bent down and gagged, though no vomit was in his system from the lack of breakfast. Girls and women started crying, and he heard Bob shout at Tim to avert his eyes. Jack stopped his gagging and grabbed the sheet from Joe, pulling it back over Katie corpse. Jack was about to scream at Joe, but an old, shaking voice beat him to it.

" How DARE you!" Wallace screamed at Joe, who seemed even palier then he was. " Have you no respect for the dead?! How could you DO that to her? Expose her like that? Get out of my sight before I kill you!" Wallace was panting hard from the excitment, and it was more then his old body could take. By the end of his speach, he collasped. Jack rushed to his side and caught him.

" I suggest you leave Joe." Jack hissed, carrying the light, unconcious old man in his arms. " You have done enough, and I would also suggest that for the rest of you. Give Wallace some privacy."

The crowd immeaditly computed, leaving the scene in a hurried pace. Ronald stepped forward and offered to take Wallace to his room, and Jack placed the unconcious senior in Ronalds care. Jack made his way after the dispercing crowd, while Joe asked if he could help Ronald in anyway. When Jack was out of the anglers earshot, Parsley came up behind him.

" Jesus Jack, what did you do to Joe?" he asked the fleeing farmer. Jack glanced back at the Bonatist, sighed and slowed his pace.

" I asked him if he would take me to Katie when he came and told me she died." He explained, stopping completely and turning to Parsley. " As you can see he didn't take that too well."

" Don't take him personally. He is fueled with greif and jelousely right now, I'm not sure when he will warm up to you again." He explained, his voice obviously filled with pity for Joe.

" I don't think, I've never seen him so fucked up before. If he does forgive me, it will probably be on my death bed."

" I don't think he will hold a grudge that long..." Parsley said, more to himself then to Jack, before sending Jack a pitiful look.

" How are you taking it."

" Don't give me all that bullshit." Jack snarled. " If one more person says they feel bad for me about loosing my _'lover'_ I will smash them in the head with my fucking hoe." Jack said, emphesizing by lifting his hands over his head and bringing them down with a great force, just like he had a hoe in his hands. Parsley chucked lightly, and Jack noticed that was the first time he had heard laughter all day. " And besides, your pity should be towards Wallace."

Parsley nodded, and they continued their conversation all the way to the boundry of the forest, before Jack remember something very important.

" Hey Parsley, have you ever seen anything like this before?" He asked as he pulled a black, rotted flower from his pocket. Parsleys eyes widened as he took the plant gingerly from Jack.  
" Never." He whispered, amazed by the new discovery. " It's rotten, but I've never seen anything with even a simiular shape to it. Why?"

" Because Joe told me he found it next to Katies body." Jack said darkly. Parsley gasped.

" I'll look into this for you Jack."

" For Wallace and Joe more then me Parsley." He corrected.

" Oh course." nodded Parsley. " I'll to check with Lyla and then go to Dia's and check through her library. Goodbye Jack." He said, giving a wave as he left. Jack waved back, before making his way towards his farm. Little did he know, two pairs of maroon eyes were watching him as he left.

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_Well, there it is. I hope that holds you over until next time. And by the way, it was Qwen watching him. Just to avoid any future confusion. Well R&R, and don't hate me if I take a long time getting the next chapter up. But I will try my best. TTFN!_

_Ja Ne_

_Nikooru-chan_


	3. Blood Petal

_A/N: YAY! I've got another installment for you all tonight. The long awaited chapter 3! Hey, at least I updated in the same year, which I can't say for the last chapter. I honestly don't like how the end of this chapter is written. I was just to determined to get this finished for you tonight, I totally just winged it. I don't wing things very well. But anywho, just enjoy the chapter. I'll get the next one out as soon as I can. (don't cross your fingers. They'll cramp up.)_

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon. They belong to their respective owners.

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**Chapter 2**

_Blood Petal_

Parsley smiled, waving back to Lyla as she entered her house/flower shop. He was definitely going to have to thank Jack for getting him to do research on this mysterious flower. Why? Because he got to be closer to his beloved, pink haired florist. Pulling his hat down to block the mid summers sun from his eyes, he made his way back toward Jacks farm.

Parsley had been up at Dia's Villa, looking through her vast collection of books for something that even resembled the rotted plant that had been next to the late Katie's body. It had taken about almost a day for them to just read every title just in the plant section, let alone the entire library. But after searching for a week, they had finally found something. A small, dust-covered book on the back of the mythilogy section.

Parsley looked down at the book in his left hand, smiling proudly. He felt honored that he could help solve the mystery of Katie's death. Although he had never really gotten to know her outside the cafe, she always served him with a smile. And she always seemed to have such a carefree and lively attitude. A gem taken before her time in his opinion.

As Parsley neared the entrance to Jacks farm, he strayed back to the task at hand. Despite the flowers withered appearance, he had managed to find a picture of something that at least resembled what he imagined that flower would look like in bloom. But because he had found the illustration in a mythology book, he was rather skeptical that it was the actual flower he was looking for. Still, he had a feeling Jack would want to see it.

Parsley gave a word of greeting at Gwen, who was making her way out of Jack's farm, looking rather preoccupied. After he got no response in return, he turned to see Jack, standing against the silo, also looking dazed. Calling to him, Parsley sped up his pace.

----------

" Hey Jack, pass me the brush."

A young man with long brown hair, pulled back in a loose ponytail, nodded at the blonds request. Plucking the coarse bristled brush from the equipment belt around his waist, he passed it into the awaiting hand of his companion. Thanking him, she slipped her slender semi-gloved hand through the loop on the wooden side of the brush, and began to groom the short, wiry hair of the horse in front of her.

" Don't you think I should brush him, Gwen?" Jack asked as his crush brought the brush through the hair on its back. It whinnied in pleasure. " Dash is my horse after all."

" I never said he wasn't." She said, patting the horses neck as she groomed. Dash, a dark chestnut coloured horse, with a white mark running down its snout, snorted at the affection he was earning from Gwen. Jack noticed that, and made his way over toward his pride and joy, stroking the white marking gently.

" You traitor. "

Gwen laughed, and Jack beamed. A little suffocated by all the pats, Dash nipped at Jacks' hand, and took off in a canter, his dark, strong legs taking him around the field. Content with the fact that Dash was happy with the attention he received, Jack and Gwen made their way over toward the fence that surrounded the pasture. Gwen lifted herself onto the post near the gate, and Jack merely leaned against the fence, near her.

" He's gotten pretty fast." Gwen mused as they watched Dash trot through the tall grass, with Jack's dog, Max, chasing after it, yapping at its heels. Jack smiled.

" The fastest horse in all of Sugar Valley." He bragged, and laughed slightly when Gwen shot him a bad look. Jack's horse had beaten Gwen's' last year as they raced for who would go to the National Horse Races. Jack had won, of course. It seemed no one could beat Dash.

" Yes, and you're not going to let us forget that either." She said, sounding annoyed, though actually she was quite grateful. Jack had arrived at the beginning of Spring last year, when his late grandfather (and most beloved crop farmer of Sugar Valley) Freddy had passed away. He had come, it seemed, just for some remaining keepsakes. And although no one took credit for persuading him to stay, he did. And as he became increasingly aware of the impending destruction of this beloved town, he did all he could to prevent it.

And she did mean everything.

All of which included planting a mysterious flower that his dog dug up with Dia and Tim, winning two contests, catching the biggest silverfish on record, finding three endangered, and extremely rare species of animals (Gwen's's beloved Snowball included) and winning the biggest Horse Race in the country. He'd single-handedly saved their home (although Jack always insisted he didn't do it on his own). It was no wonder Katie was sweet on him.

" Oh, come on." Jack said in a teasing tone. " You're not still sour because I beat you, are you?" He raised a chestnut brown eyebrow at her.

" Of course not." Gwen scoffed, crossing her arms and looking off to the side. Jack gave her an amused look.

" Whatever you say Gwen." He said with a smile. Glancing at her, he noticed her face grow tight, and he knew she was smiling too.

"JACK, OVER HERE!"

" HEY JACK!"

" JACK! JACK! JACK! JACK!"

Jack inwardly groaned. He glanced over his shoulder to see three tiny figures in their designated coloured coats, all jumping up and down, trying to get his attention. Quickly glancing at Gwen, who was staring fondly at Dash, Jack stood up and flicked some dirt off his jeans.

" I'll be right back." He said. " I think I... hear something behind the barn." He was about to make a mad dash toward the barn, when Gwen grabbed his wrist.

" I'll go with you."

" Not necessary." Jack said quickly, pulling his hand back. " It's probably just a raccoon or something getting into the fodder. I'll be quick." Before she could argue, Jack took in a fast walk toward the barn. Glancing back at her right before he was out of sight, he caught wind of her glare. Giving her a charming smile and the thumbs up, before vanishing behind the silo. The last thing he saw was her turning around and huffing, before he turned to the Harvest Sprites. " This better be good."

" 'This better be good'. Imagine!" Nak whined in a high voice. " Like there's been anything good happen since the Goddess lost her sacred marbles!"

" Shut up Nak." Nik hissed at his smaller companion, before turning to Jack, who was giving them a viscous glare. " Sorry Jack, Nak's been kinda cranky since this whole thing started."

" Well maybe if _someone_ was doing something about it, I'd be a bit happier." Nak said with a snort. Jack started seething.

" Don't you dare say I haven't been doing anything about it. I lost a good friend to the Goddess, and I want her defeated just as much as you do." He gave Nak another hateful look. " And it's not wise to offend something ten times bigger then you are."

" I'll take you any day, any time." The smallest sprite cried, lifting his tiny fists threateningly. Nik rolled his eyes and nodded to Flak, who proceeded to knock Nak in the back of the head with his hand. Nak fell foreword into the dirt, and shot the largest sprite a look of pure loathing.

" As we were saying." Nik said, giving Nak a short disappointed look. " We came to ask you how your process if going. Have you found anything out yet?" Nak snorted loudly as he picked himself off the ground and whipped himself up. Nak motioned threateningly to Flak again, but Jack interrupted them.

" Actually," He said smugly. " I have the local botanist Parsley the flower that Katie had with her, and he's been trying to find out about it. I have complete faith in him."

" That's good." Nik said before Nak could insult Jack again. " We saw the flower Katie picked up, didn't we guys?"

Flak nodded stiffly, and Flak answered with a " Yup, don't seen it before." Nik and Nak both buried their head in their tiny hands, embarrassed by their friends stupidity.

" I think he mean't we hadn't seen it before." Nik said, sounding almost exhausted.

" I don't even understand what he says anymore." Nak sighed. Jack, although slightly amused by the little scene, was about to interrupt them, when a sound that made his heart freeze in fright.

" Jack?"

Shit, Gwen!

The entire party behind the barn turned to see Gwen make her way into view, looking a little concerned. " Jack, you've been back here quite a while and I was getting worried so I- YOU?!" Jacks mouth went slack as he watched Gwen point a shaking finger directly at the three Harvest Sprites. She gave Jack a scandalized look. " You can see them too?!"

" Uh... huh." Was all Jacks mind could register to say at that moment, feeling as though his brain had just leaked out his ears. A wave of relief seemed to wash over Gwen's beautiful face.

" This is so great." She said weakly. " You don't know how long I thought I was schizophrenic."

" I do actually." He finally managed to spit out, laughing a little to loud for the occasion. They smiled weakly at each other, before they were plunged into an awkward silence. Nik broke the silence.

" We'll go." He said, motioning for Flak to carry Nak before he could ruin the moment for the two gargantuan humans. They finally pulled the reluctant sprite back to their hole, and disappeared in it. Gwen rang her hands together.

" I should probably go too." She said awkwardly. Jack nodded slowly, before they both made their way out from behind the barn. Giving each other a small wave, Jack watched as Gwen made her way out of his farm. He leaned up against the silo and took a deep breath, savoring the fresh air he had become so accustomed too. He could bearly imagine he'd lived in the city before coming here.

" Jack!"

Glancing over toward the entrance of the farm, Jack saw the person he'd be waiting to see all week. With blond hair tucked haphazardly under his tan rangers hat. With a small, tattered-looking book tucked protectively under his arm, Parsley sped up to a jog, a smile so wide across his face it looked as though it might fall off. It was infectious, and who was Jack to resist.

" Parsley." Jack said with a sigh, as though all the worry and stress and pain he'd felt over the last week was releases in that single word. And despite the display with Gwen, it had been hell. But that was always the same with Gwen, she could always cheer him up in the darkest times. And now with her gone, the gloom seemed to seep back into his mind.

" Howdy." Parsley greeted as he stopped in front of his farmer friend, a proud smile on his face. " How're you doin'?"

" Ugh." Jack said, pulling his hand through his handsome brown bangs, giving Parsley an exasperated look. The Botanist's brows furrowed.

" Bad week, eh?" He said, his voice was concerned, but still light and content. Jack couldn't seem to remember the last time his voice had been like that.

" Yeah." He said with a shrug. " Someone keeps nailing dead fish to my door." They glanced at each other, before both blurting " Joe." And smiling wickedly. Although Parsley's smile was definitely bigger. " So, what brings you to the farm?" Jack asked when the grins began to fade.  
" I was waiting for you to ask that." Parsley said with another big smile. He pulled a tattered-looking book from under his arm, and handed it to Jack with enthusiasm. Jack let his eyes skim over the ragged cover.

_Omens_

_The Good and the Bad_

" I know it sounds unbelievable." Parsley said, shrugging slightly. He thought he could read Jacks thought when he looked up with a blank look on his face, the botanist was far from it. " Just read the page I marked. We've been searching night and day and this is all we could find." Nodding slightly, Jack turned to the page with its corner turned down, and read the passage.

_The Nonnah Hgeil; also known as the Blood Petal, is an omen of certain death. To whomever see this flower bloom, crimson red as the blood in thou veins, expect the wrath of the supernatural to rein upon you. The Blood Petal supposedly wilts when the intended victim has died. Wilted Blood Petals have been spotted near only the most gruesome tragedies. Only one known picture of this doom flower exists, artwork by an artist named Leigh Hannon, whom completed the piece only an hour before her house caught fire. It killed not only her and her family, but the entire village around her. Oddly enough, the picture was not damaged._

_'See next page for sketch Blood Petal._

Not pausing to see Parsleys reaction to him reading the passage he'd been waiting for, he flipped the page over. His breath hitched in his throat.

There, in all its glory, the sketch of the very flower that Katie had longed to hold in the last moments of her life. Only instead of the rotted, limp, black Jack had seen, it was accented with the most striking crimson, as though the flower had been sketched in the blood of the artist. And as the book had described, she basically did.

" Sweet mother Mary of fuck." Jack rasped quietly, his eyes glued to the piece. Parsley's proud smile had slipped off his face sometime when Jack was reading, and now his expression was hard.

" Is that what you were looking for?" He asked, no hint of amusement in his voice. Jack nodded numbly. Parsley shuffled, before looking down at his feet. " Jack, I-"

" This very carefully about what you say next." Jack hissed before his friend could finish. " Because I might have to the sense back into you if want to do what I think you want to do." Despite the humorous choice of words, Jack could not have been more serious.

" You can't actually believe that shit, Jack. I'm just going up to the pond to check. I won't see some damn 'doom flower' while I'm there."

" Who's to say you won't!" Jack was slowly becoming more aggressive, as was Parsley.

" Because the Goddess will protect me!" No other words could have infuriated Jack more.

" The Goddess doesn't give a fuck anymore!" He dropped the book and grabbed Parsley by the collar, pulling him toward him. " The fucking bitch is behind the whole thing! She's insane and bloodthirsty, and if you go up there you'll die!"

Parsley ripped himself from Jacks grip, giving a look obviously showed he thought Jack had lost his own sacred marbles. Still seething, but defeated, the farmer let his head hang, and arms flop to his sides. " There's some shit going on Parsley. It's bigger then Katie and Joe, and you and me. You can think I'm a lunatic if you want, but you just need to hear what I know, no matter how far-fetched it may seem."

" Hey," Parsley said slowly. " We've all been stressed out and-"

" Its not the stress. I'm honest to fucking god telling you the truth about the goddess. Just..." He swallowed thickly. " Just come inside or something, its a pretty damn long story. And you'll need to sit down."

Hesitating, Parsley watched as Jack slumped back to his shack of a home. He honestly didn't believe a word out of Jacks mouth, but whatever he was talking about, he sure as hell believed it was true. The most he could do was listen. Stepping after him, Parsley walked into the hut, shutting the door to the wind that has risen up. They didn't notice the black clouds that loomed on the horizon, and were approaching fast.

* * *

Thats all for now folks. Remember to leave me a friendly review to get me motivate for a new chapter! Also, if you want to view a picture of what I imagine the Blood Petal looks like go to 

www(dot)leighhannon(dot)com(slash)images(dash)redflowerw(dot)jpg

If that link doesn't work. PM me and I'll try and send it to you myself.

Cheerio!


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